alveolus

/ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs/

//ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs// noun

"alveolus" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“alveolus” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small cavity or pit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-alveolus · alveolus · English

alveolus · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for alveolus
PropertyValue
Headwordalveolus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “alveolus” in English

alveolusfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

alveolus is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for alveolus in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin alveolus (“a small hollow or cavity”), diminutive of alveus (“a hollow, cavity”). The correct English form is alveolus, spelled A-L-V-E-O-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small cavity or pit.
  2. 2
    A small cavity or pit.
  3. 3
    A small cavity or pit.
  4. 4
    A small cavity or pit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how alveolus appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The sprouts proliferate and canalize to form the lactiferous ducts and the outbuddings form the alveoli of the mammary glands.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alveolus (“a small hollow or cavity”), diminutive of alveus (“a hollow, cavity”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "alveolus"?
"alveolus" is spelled A-L-V-E-O-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs/.
What does "alveolus" mean?
As a noun, "alveolus" means: A small cavity or pit.
How do you pronounce "alveolus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alveolus" is /ˌal.viˈəʊ.ləs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "alveolus"?
Borrowed from Latin alveolus (“a small hollow or cavity”), diminutive of alveus (“a hollow, cavity”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list